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The 2014-2018 Council made the recreation facility project their number one priority. This Council committed to reaching a decision regarding the location, amenities, and budget for the recreation facility within their first six months of office; this goal was achieved.

Below is a detailed timeline of the progress made on the recreation file in the first six months of Council. Current information and updates on the recreation facility can be found on the Orillia Recreation Facility homepage.

January 2015

A Special Meeting of Council was held to discuss a partnership with Tribal Partners on establishing a recreation facility at 174 West Street South. This resulted in the following motions:

A special meeting of Council Committee to be held on February 6, 2015 to review the following sites for a recreation facility:

228 James Street

255 West Street South

174 West Street South

Representatives from the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, City Solicitor, environmental professionals and others deemed necessary be invited to attend.

The recreation facility project be deemed to be the priority project for this term of Council.

Council supports the concept of the OPP Detachment moving to 174 West Street South and Council encourage discussions regarding the detachment between Tribal Partners, the OPP and Infrastructure Ontario and the Mayor be authorized to participate in those discussions if required.

February 2015

A Special Meeting of Council was held on February 6, 2015, to review and discuss various aspects and the history regarding the development of a recreation facility in Orillia. Council was given information regarding recreation site history and recreation needs in Orillia. Please see the Agenda from the meeting for details and reports.

As a result of this meeting, Council passed various motions, which were ratified on Monday, February 9, 2015. See the full listing of motions. A summary of the motions passed include the following:

Decision to cancel the Aquatics/Gymnasium Facility Project on the 230 James Street Site.

An Ad Hoc Partnership Committee be established to investigate potential partnerships and the findings of these investigations be reported back to Council Committee by May 4, 2015.

Staff be directed to negotiate a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Tribal Partners to locate a recreation centre at 174 West Street South, contingent on:

The City and Tribal Partners agreeing on results of the environmental, geotechnical and hydrogeological assessments of the site within six months; the City and Tribal Partners negotiating a land acquisition agreement; and the City's ability to start the construction of the recreation centre within three years after the above two conditions have been met.

A preliminary budget of $150,000 be approved for legal services to prepare the MOU and for an environmental professional to work with Tribal Partners' consultant.

A Special Meeting of Council be held on March 25, 2015 to develop the recreation program for the recreation centre.

Tribal Partners agrees to exercise best efforts to locate the Ontario Provincial Police Orillia detachment at 174 West Street South.

The Mayor be requested to convene a meeting with the Minister of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure to discuss the possibility of the Orillia OPP detachment being built at 174 West Street South and report back to Council on the outcome of the meeting; and staff be directed to report back to the March 9, 2015 Council meeting outlining the process of how Infrastructure Ontario determines a location for an OPP Detachment.

Council form a committee to investigate what conditions would have to be met for a recreation centre at 255 West Street South.

May 2015

At the May 4, 2015, Council Committee meeting, a report dated April 28, 2015 from the Recreation Project Team advised Council that Tribal Partners would no longer be pursuing the development opportunity at 174 West Street South (174). The report also presented the next steps to move the recreation file forward, which included selecting 255 West Street South as the site for the next community recreation facility.

At the May 11, 2015 meeting of Council, the following motions were adopted:

THAT as recommended in the report dated April 28, 2015, from the Recreation Project Team, the Mayor be requested to send a letter to Tribal Partners thanking them for presenting the development opportunity to the City.

THAT the Mayor, CAO/Clerk and City Solicitor be directed to meet with Molson representatives regarding the Transfer Agreement for 255 West Street South and to report back to Council Committee.

THAT staff be directed to arrange for a Public Open House regarding 255 West Street South prior to May 28, 2015.

The following motions were postponed until the June 1, 2015, Special Meeting of Council:

THAT as recommended in the report dated April 28, 2015 from the Recreation Project Team, this Council is committed to Brownfield Redevelopment due to the many social, environmental and economic benefits it presents;

AND THAT in demonstration of this commitment, Council selects 255 West Street South as the site for the community recreation facility.

THAT the reports dated April 28, 2015 from the Ad Hoc Partnership Committee regarding potential partnership opportunities for a recreation facility, be received as information.

May 26, 2015 - Recreation Facility Open House

The City of Orillia is inviting the community to learn more about a recreation facility proposed for 255 West Street South at an upcoming open house, scheduled for Tuesday, May 26, at the Orillia City Centre.

The open house will take place from 6 - 8 p.m. on Tuesday, May 26, on the first floor of the Orillia City Centre. The open house format allows the community to drop-in at any time within these two hours, to browse informational displays and converse with project staff. John Kaasalainen, District Engineer with the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, will also be on-hand to answer questions. While many decisions are currently in progress, the open house will feature the most recent information available on the proposed site, amenities, design and costing. The open house does not include a scheduled presentation.

May 26, 2015 - Recreation Facility Open House

The City of Orillia hosted an open house on May 26, 2015, to provide the opportunity for residents to learn more about a recreation facility proposed for 255 West Street South.

The open house format allowed the community to drop-in during 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. and browse informational displays and converse with project staff. John Kaasalainen, District Engineer with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change was also on-hand to answer questions. While many decisions are currently in progress, the open house featured the most recent information available on the proposed site, amenities, design and costing.

Please click on the links below to view the informational displays that were available at the Open House:

June 1, 2015 - Council Establishes Location and Amenities for Orillia Recreation Centre

At a Special Meeting on June 1, 2015, Council decided to locate the future recreation facility at 255 West Street South; a brownfield site which is located in the centre of the City, within walking distance to a number of community assets, and in an area which is critical to the revitalization of the downtown core.

Council also confirmed the project budget, set at $45 million, with an additional $5 million allocated to capping and naturalizing the surrounding property at 255 West Street South.

The recreation centre will include:

An aquatic centre

Gymnasiums

Multi-purpose rooms

A walking/running track

Childcare room

Office space

A fitness centre

Once detailed designs are underway, additional consultations and feedback will be sought from recreation user groups.

Moving forward, Council and staff will begin work on the schematic/detailed building design and environmental site work, which will be followed by the tendering process and construction.

Presentation boards from the May 26, 2015, Recreation Open House, which include information on the site, proposed building, and project timelines, can be viewed by clicking the links below: